Cossette distributing machine



April 2, 1940. J DALEY 2,195,448

- ,COSSETTE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet, 1

INVENTOR G. .1 ZHZ/H) BY Q U x,

: AYVORMIY Ap 2, 1940. G. J. DALEY COSSE'ITE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR G. J.Z)a5e y ATTORNEY April 2, 1940. G. J. DALEY COSSETTE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 20, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR 4 Patented Apr. (lees.

' H UNITED STATES PA ENTAOFFICE 1 i 2,195,448 7 I Y I Q ,cossE'rrE DISTRIBUTING MACHINE I "Gustave J. Daley, Stockton, 'Calif.,' assignor to yHolly. Sugar. Corporation, Colorado Springs. Colo., a' corporation of New York 0,1937, Serial No. 180,837 '6 Claims. (014214-17 t jgb plication December 2 p This invention relates to the sugar beet industry and particularly to a machine for distributing'the cossettes or sliced beets in a diffusioncell battery such as commonly used in a beet sugar factory. I

A diffusion batteryof this character is-made' up of a row-either instraight lineor circular arrangement-of a series of vertical tanks or cells into which thecossettes are, poured from the top, and which must be distributed as they enter the cells in order to obtain a proper packing of the cossettes in the cells.

Heretofore this distribution has been carried out manually, and-a major object; of my invention is to provide amachine for mechanically performing this operation. v

A further object of the invention is to provide .a machine for the purpose so mounted and arranged relative to a battery of cells that the one machine may be successively used on the several cells o'fthe battery, without any manual effort except for the operation of the machine controls. The above and other objects I accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrange- ,ment of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a cossette-cell battery, showing distributing machine as positioned in operative relation with one cell. v

Figure 2 is a transverse or end elevation of the machine as in the position in Fig. L'With the cell and beet chute in section.

Figures is a front) side elevation. cf'lthe machine detached from its supporting rails but with, its parts in lowered position as in'F'igyZ.

Figure 4 is transverse section on line 4-4 of Fig; 3 but with the parts in raised or'non-operativeposition. I

Figure 5 is a sectional plan on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. 1 i

Figure 6 is a fragmentarytransverse elevation showing the operative connection between the propeller shaft and the shield. Referring now more particularlyto the charaoters of reference on the drawings, the cell-battery as here shown is; of the straightline are rangernent, and comprises the row of vertical cells or tanks I having [horizontally movable swing-lids'2 on top. The cossetteconveyor 3 extends along the rowof cells to one side of and .s omewhat above the same, a feed-chute iffrom edly this frame at the top and centrally of the eratively connected as by a belt drive I3 to an- F30 other electric motor l4 mounted on the carriage clear of the frame, area.

its lower end by a bearing sleeve II. This sleeve pending angularly toward the sleeve from the opposite sides of the frame. A collar l9 secured depending hanger yokes .21 for a purpose which handle 25 is associatedwith shaft22. A pair of chain sprockets 26, spaced'symmetrically relative 45 "tothe shaftlZ are mounted on shaft 22 "and enthe conveyor overhanging the top of each cell a certain distance; I

A pairof .spacedhorizontal I-beam rails "5 are supported by uprights 6 a certain distanceabove I and in central symmetrical relation to the cells. These railsgextend the full length of the battery and support the distributing machine, which is constructed as, follows:

A horizontal carriage '1 "is disposed between electric'motor ii] mounted on the frame. Secured on anddepe'nding from the carriage is a frame H which jincludes vertical beams ar-' ranged to define a rectangular area. Support 7 area thereof is a'vertical depending shaft 12 op j Slidably'lieyed on shaft 12 for sliding move-" ment relative there'tois another "shaft (5, carry- I ing a distributing propeller [6 on its lower end. The shaft l5" even when raised to its limit projects belowtheframe Iii, and is guidedadja'c'ent is supported .fromqthe frame ll some distance above the bottom Ithereo'fyby bracket arms l8'deto on shaft is: atthetop supports a pair of-parallel horizontal bars 26 disposed on opposite sides V of the shaft and which at their outer end carry willbeseen. The shaft I5 is raised and lowered by hand, by the following means: Mounted on the 'frame' ade j'a'c'ent the bottom and front thereof (said front-"'40 being opposite to conveyor .3) is a shaft .22, parallel to bars 28 and carrying a crank handle 23 on one end. A/bra'ke device 2"4, controlled by a gage separate substantially endless chains 21. These chains separately pass from the inner sides of the sprockets upwardly about guidepulleys 28 mounted on frame I I, above collar 19 and "60 then down and in substantially parallel and alined relation with shaft I2' to and about guide pulleys 29 mounted adjacent sleeve IT. From pulleys 29, the 'chainspass upwardly and over guide pulleys-3U mounted on frame ll above the collar IS; the chains being secured on the collar. The chains then extend laterally to and about other guide pulleys 3i mounted on frame I I at the front, andthen down to the sprockets 26 on the front side.

To partly counterbalance the weight of the shaft l5 and associated parts, a counterweight 32 is preferably interposed in and connected in common to both chains on their front run, this weight being guided by auxiliary vertical beams Ha of frame ll.

Disposed concentric with shaft i5 is a circular shield 33, substantially the diameter of the neck bars 20.

of a tank I, and provided with an outer fiange 34 adjacent the bottom to rest on the, tank as shown in Fig. 2. The shield is'cut away from top to bottom as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 for an arcuate extent sufficient to clear the chute 4. v

, Two pair of upstanding rods 35 are mounted in lugs 35 on the shield on the outsideand some distance below the top thereof in spaced relation thereabout, the rods being also spaced somewhat outwardly from the shield as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Above the shield, the rods are guided in sleeves 3T fixed on the frame i i. Above the sleeves, the rods of each pair are connected by cross-bars 38 arranged at right angles to Each bar 38 carries an upstanding hook 3 9 in line with and always above yokes 2!, to be engaged thereby when shaft i5 occupies a certain position relative to the shield as will be seen. Motor i is started and stopped by hand, but the circuit (not shown) of motor 14 in addition to a hand switch is provided with a normally closed switch indicated at 40. This switch is mounted in a box 4| fixed on the front of the frame II at a level adjacent thelowest level of weight 32, which of course corresponds to the highest position of shaft I5. The switch has a trip or opening member 42 projecting into the path of downward movement of the weight so as to be engaged thereby and the switch opened (as shown in Fig. 4) when the shaft l approaches its topmost position.

In operation, the machine is first positioned over the tank I to be filled by operation of motor Ill which drives the carriage. The handle 23 is then turned (after first releasing the brake) in a direction to lower shaft l5 and shield 33;. At this time, the propeller I6 is within the "shield, as shown in Fig. 4, and the shield is hung switch.- When the propeller has been lowered to its" limit, as determined by the engagement of collar H) with sleeve H the motor i4 is started and the cossettes are admitted into the tank through the corresponding chute l. As'the cossettes come in contact with ,the revolving protribute'd therein in an even manner.

peller, they are thrown'about the tank and dis- As the tank fills, the propeller is also raised (while still rotating) by suitable manipulation of the handle 23 until the tank is completely filled.

A further raising of shaft then withdraws the propeller from the tank'and places itv within the shield, at which time the yokes 2| again engage hooksiili; Further raising of shaft l5 then raises the shieldalso, so that the entire machine-is clear of the tanks and their covers, and may be moved-along the row of tanks. The machine is then moved to the next tank or cell to be filled, and the above described cycle of operations is repeated.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills'the objects ofthe invention as set forth herein. 1 I

While thisspecification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i

1. A cossette distributing machine for use with a diffusion cell, said'machine comprising a horizontally movable frame above the cell, a vertical driven shaft" mounted on the frame: in position to axially aline with the cell, the lower end of the shaft being above the top of the cell, a tubular shaft slidably keyed on the driven shaft and depending therefrom, a distributing element on the lower end of the tubular shaft to pass into the cell from the top for operation, means applied to the tubular shaft to raise the same to withdraw the element'from thecell to a predetermined level thereabove, a band-like shield concentric with the tubular shaft and of a size to rest on the top rim of the cell, means mounting the. shield in connection with the frame structure for vertical' mo vement, opposed hanger yokes secured with the tubular shaft above the shield and hooks overhanging the yokes and secured with theshield; said hooks being positioned to be engaged bythe yokes only after an upward movement of the tubular shaft sufiicient to withdraw the element from the cell but before the said element has reached said predetermined level.

2. A cossette distributing machine for use with a diffusion cell, said machine comprising a horizontally movable frameabove the cell, a vertical driven shaft mounted on the frame in position 'to axially aline with the ,cell, the lower end of the shaft being'above the top of the cell, atubular shaft slidably keyed on the driven shaft and depending therefrom, a distributing element on the lower endof the tubular shaft to pass into the cell from the top for operation, means applied to the tubular shaft to raise the same to withdraw the element from the cell to a predetermined level thereabove, a band-like shield concentric with the tubular shaft and of a size to rest on the top rim of the cell, a plurality of rods rigid with and projecting upwardly from the shield, guide sleeves fixed on the frame structure through which said rods are slidable, the rods projecting above the sleeves, opposed hanger yokes securedwith the tubular shaft above the shield, and hooks overhanging the yokes and rigid'with the rods above the sleeves; said hooks being positioned to be engaged by the yokes only after an upward movement of the tubular shaft sufficient to withdraw the element from the cell but before the said element has reached said predetermined level.

3. A cossette distributorfor use with a diffusion cell, there being. a fixed side-feed chute overhanging. the top of the cell to deliver into the same; said distributor comprisinga rotary distributing element, means to .lower the;- element into the cell from a level above the same, a vertical shield concentric with the element and adapted torest on top of the cell and means to raise the shield to a level clear of the chute; said shield being cut away on the side adjacent the chute so as to clear the same when being lowered to a cell engaging position.

4. A cossette distributing machine for use with a diffusion cell, said machine comprising a frame disposed at a fixed level above the cell, said frame including vertical posts and horizontally spaced cross members ne ar the lower end of the posts and above the cell, a vertical driven shaft journaled on the frame adjacent its upper end and supported against axial movement, a tubular shaft slidably keyed on the driven shaft and depending between said cross members, a distributor element on the lower end of the tubular shaft adapted to enter the cell when the tubular shaft is lowered, means to raise and lower said tubular shaft, a bearing for the tubular shaft engaging the same adjacent its lower end when said shaft is raised to its limit and supports for said hearing rigid with and depending from said cross members.

5. A structure as inclaim 4, with a vertically movable shield about and concentric with the tubular shaft; the horizontal spacing of said Isupportsbeing less than the width of the shield whereby the latter may project upwardly above the bearing.

r 6. A coss'ette distributing machine for use with a diffusion cell, said machine comprising a frame mounted above the cell, a vertical shaft positioned to axially aline with the cell, means mount ing the shaft for vertical movement and for rotating the same, a distributor element on the lower end of said shaft to enter the cell when said shaft is lowered, means applied to the shaft to raise and lower the same, a shield about the shaft to rest on the rim of the cell, rods rigid with and projecting upwardly from the shield, guide sleeves fixed on the frame through which the rods are slidable, the latter projecting above the sleeves and means between the rods above the sleeves and the shaft to cause the rods to be lifted by upward movement of the shaft when the latter reaches a predetermined position in its upward travel.

GUSTAVE J. DALEY. 

